Golf club



Aug. 25, `1936. D. 'rj MEARs GOLF CLUB Filed sept. so, 1935 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l* 1 Claim.

The invention relates to a golf club and more especially to a golf club shaft.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a shaft of this character, wherein different kinds of heads can be readily and conveniently attached for changing the character of the club and also a handle is carried by this shaft so that the length of the shaft can be increased or decreased accordingly to the requirements of a player or user thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a shaft of this character, wherein the head when made secure thereto Will be rmly and rigidly attached so that there is no possibility of loose play between the head and the shaft when attached together.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a shaft of this character, which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its purpose, strong, durable, enabling a change in the nature of the club and also inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a golf club with the shaft constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional View through a shaft at its handle end constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section of the head of the golf club showing in detail the manner of fastening the shaft therewith.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing in detail the head end of the shaft.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of the head detached from the shaft.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line B- of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a sectional View on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a sectional View on the line l8 8 of Figure 3.

Similar reference characters indicate correspending parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the golf club comprises a head ID, this being in the nature 'f a driving head, a stick or shaft II and a handle I2, respectively, the shaft or stick being of tubular form and tapers in the direction of the head I0. The smaller end of the shaft II has permanently joined therewith a thimble-like coupling sleeve I3, it being streamlined in the direction of the shaft or stick and within the sleeve is received a dowel-like plug or pin I4, the same being tapered in conformity with the tapered formation of the socket I5 in the said sleeve I3 and is provided with a threaded portion I6 screwed into the heel portion of the head I0 so that in this manner the latter can be separably fastened to the shaft or stick I I.

Provided in the open end of the sleeve I3 is a notch or slot I 'I while anchored in the pin or plug I4 is a staple I8, the sleeve externally thereof being formed with a circular channel or groove I 9 occupied by a split ring 2U, which is freely rotatable within the channel or groove I9 and this ring is adapted for locking engagement in the staple I8 when the split of the said ring is aligned with the notch I1 so that the head I0 can be detachably secured with the stick or shaft I I. Thus it will be apparent from Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing that varying styles of heads can be separably attached to the stick or shaft I I, this being also true with respect to wood or iron heads.

The larger end of the stick or shaft I I is longitudinally slitted at 2I and over this end is telescoped the handle I2, which is of tubular formation having the outer closed end 22 and the opposite open end 23 which is slitted at 24 and externally threaded at 25. The slitted end is slightly inwardly tapered and has adjustably threaded thereon a locking collar or sleeve 26 which when turned clamps the slitted end about the stick or shaft Il to make the handle I2 fast upon the stick or shaft. Thishandle externally thereof has a leather covering 26 as usual. The slitted end of the stick or shaft II is slidably telescoped in the handle I2 and by adjustment of the` latter the length of the stick or shaft can be varied. The portion of the stick or shaft II to be occupied by the handle I2 is of uniform diameter in cross section and the taper of such stick or shaft begins from this pointin the direction of the head II). The slitted end 2| of the stick or shaft II effects a frictional engagement with the handle I2. The collar or sleeve 25 when adjusted effects a binding action on the slitted end of the said handle for making it fast upon the stick or shaft II.

In Figure of the drawing there is shown a slight modication, wherein the head 21, only a portion thereof being shown, has formed at the heel end thereof the outwardly tapered pin or lug 28, it carrying the eye or staple 29 for acco-mmodating the split ring 2 tted with the stick or shaft Il.

This pin or lug 28 is adapted to be accommodated in a correspondingly tapered socket provided in the stick or shaft I I.

The pins I4 and 28 by reason of their tapered formation and fitting a correspondingly tapered socket therefor assure a tight joint between the head and the said stick or shaft.

It is preferable to make the head of the golf club from transparent non-breakable material such as pyrachrome and the head being .molded in the desired shape in the use of such material* It will be apparent that by employingbut a single shaft or stick a variety of heads are usable therewith and in this the necessity of carrying a large bag for equipment will be avoided and at the same time reducing the cost of equipment and replacement as well as saving time and trouble ordinarily encountered in removal and replacing in the bag of clubs now in use, the changing of heads being had with dispatch and in a ready and easy manner.

What is claimed is:

In a golf club, a head, a dowel-like plug threaded into said head and having a staple projecting laterally therefrom, a stick, a thimble-like coupling sleeve attached to said stick for receiving theY plug and having a notch accommodating the staple, the notch opening through the outer end of said sleeve, and a split ring rotatably counterseated externally in the sleeve, the split in said ring registering with the notch to clear the staple `at the split and being turnable to inter-locking engagement with the staple on rotation of the said ring upon the sleeve.

DANIEL T. MEARS. 

